


on thin ice

by xibal



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Hockey, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 04:35:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20352469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xibal/pseuds/xibal
Summary: With the ice hockey championship in two days, Korra and the Republic City University Polar Bear Dogs are determined to take the title home. But Korra can't help crushing on Asami Sato, the gorgeous defenseman of the Future Institute of Technology Fire Ferrets. But when Asami asks her on a date, will either of them be able to keep their feelings in check in time for the final game?





	1. i.

**Author's Note:**

> this is cliche as all hell but i’m a sucker for university au’s and sports team au’s so…yeah. also i’m not a hockey player but i enjoy the sport (and i'm like specifically attracted to hockey players idk why). but if you like witty banter and a story about two dumb oblivious idiots falling in love in a sports drama then welcome!

“Can you stop fraternizing with the enemy?” Opal smacked her hand over Korra’s helmet. “I swear, we’re going to lose the most important game of the season because of you.”

“You’re exaggerating,” Korra sighed, absentmindedly rubbing the back of her head, “I just think she’s pretty.”

“You don’t even know her!”

“Yes, I do.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s her major? Grade? Hobbies?”

“Uh, electrical engineering and applied mathematics. Senior, I think? Not too sure on that last one.”

“‘Yes, I do know her,’ my ass.”

“What, you want me to find out her star sign and see if we’re compatible? Add her on Co-Star? Stalk her Spotify activity?”

“Whatever. Still doesn’t make you any less of a headass. She literally sent you into a _wall_ last season.”

Korra scoffed. “Yeah, uh, it’s called a check. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

Opal bit back another retort, instead letting out a long exhale as she pulled the helmet off of her head. Blowing a loose strand of hair from her face, she commented, “You’re delusional if you think she actually likes you back.”

“Spirits, Opal,” said Korra, “It’s just a _crush_. I’ll get over it in time for the weekend.”

“Okay. In two days. Yeah. Sure,” muttered Opal. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I forgot to put all my equipment in the wash yesterday, so I’m going to do that. I positively smell like ass.”

“So does your personality.”

“Oh, fuck you. That was weak.”

Snickering, Korra pulled off her own helmet. She immediately felt the cool breeze of the rink on her face, and she swiped a gloved hand over her forehead and the back of her neck to catch the sweat. Ever since Coach Tenzin found out that the Republic City University would be going against Future Institute of Technology in the finals, he’s been working everyone to the bone. Korra felt her thighs throb in protest as she plopped down on one of the benches to remove her guards. Just as she was loosening her skates from her ankles, she heard a familiar, silky voice.

“Why am I not surprised to find you in the rink?” Asami chuckled. Korra felt her heart jump into her throat as Asami made her way to Korra. Asami was wearing a faded grey sweatshirt with “FIT” embroidered in big red letters and a pair of black joggers, but she still managed to take Korra’s breath away. Korra inwardly cursed herself as she sat on the bench, her right skate hanging from the tip of her foot. Out of all the times during the day, how does Asami find Korra when she’s sweaty and gross?

“Oh, uh,” said Korra, looking at everything except the person standing in front of her. “Well, you know me! The finals are Saturday. And all that.”

“I’m well aware,” Asami laughed. “I mean, I’ll be seeing you on the ice.”

“That’s _exactly_ why we have so many practices,” Korra groaned. “Our coach wants to make sure we’re more than prepared this season. I’m, like, 98% certain I won’t be able to walk tomorrow morning.”

“Well, that seems pretty counterintuitive.”

“Then can you guys stop being so damn good?”

“Nope,” said Asami, popping the “p” for dramatic effect. “You just have to be better.”

Korra rolled her eyes, smiling at Asami’s quip. As much as Korra wished her team could be better, she knew that taking down the top hockey team in the country wouldn’t be an easy feat.

“You know, for a nerd school, you guys are pretty fucking good at hockey,” said Korra. She began gathering all of the pads and guards she had strewn about and hopped off the bench, skates in her left hand and equipment tucked under her right.

“You know, for a school with so many hockey recruits, you guys aren’t all that,” Asami shot back. “Also, want any help with that?”

“Shit, touché. And no, I’m good, thanks.”

The pair started making their way up the stairs to the locker rooms outside of the rink with Asami in front as Korra trailed behind.

“Well, I guess this is my stop,” Korra joked as they stopped in front of the entrance to the locker room.

“So,” Asami started, turning around to face Korra. “Do you have any plans later today?”

“Uh? I mean, uh, yes. Wait, no. I mean I don’t,” sputtered Korra. She could feel the heat slowly creep up to her neck. “Why?”

Asami laughed (and mother of spirits, Korra could have melted into a puddle right then and there), “I mean with the finals coming up we’ve only been practicing, and there’s nothing else to do, and, uh, I was wondering if we can go, like, to a café or something?”

“On, like, a date?” asked Korra.

“Yeah,” said Asami, a sparkle of amusement lining her tone and a light sprinkle of pink dusting her cheeks. “Exactly.”

Korra could now definitely feel a light burn on her cheeks. She fidgeted with the equipment under her arm as she tried her best to level her gaze with Asami, who was looking at her expectantly with those sparkling jade eyes. Korra cracked a nervous, half-giddy smile.

“I’d love to,” said Korra. “Café sounds good. No, it sounds great, actually.”

“You have my number, right?” asked Asami. “Just text me your address, and I’ll pick you up. I’m honestly not familiar with the area so I don’t know where we can go, but we can just sort it out then?”

“Oh, I have the perfect place in mind,” said Korra, grinning. “You don’t mind cabbage cookies, right?”

“Well, I guess I’ll find out,” Asami winked as she began walking out the doors of the complex, sending another burning blush across Korra’s face. “I’ll pick you up at, like, 6. See you soon!”

As soon as Korra heard the large doors clang shut, she couldn’t help but celebrate the occasion with a small squeal, because _holy shit_ _Asami likes her back_. She rushed into the locker room to rid herself of her smelly, sweat-stained equipment and hop into the shower. Spirits knows she won’t let Asami catch her looking gross and sweaty another time. Korra couldn’t help humming a soft tune to herself as she threw her equipment into the communal hamper and got ready to wash.

“Korra? Is that you?” Opal’s voice echoed throughout the now empty locker room halls. Judging by the sound of the locker room rattling open, she probably just got out of the shower. “Why do you sound like a kid on caffeine?”

“Guess who’s got a date,” sang Korra.

“Please don’t tell me it’s her.”

“You’re absolutely right it is.”

"How did she even _find _you?"

"Hey, their team had practice right before us!"

“Oh, my spirits. You _clown_. Okay, yeah, 'just a crush,' Whatever.”

“It _is_ just a crush!”

“Yeah, but she also likes you back!”

“Oh, come on, it’s just one date!”

“It’s just one date,” Opal mimicked in an uncharacteristically high-pitched, whiny tone. “Korra, I’m happy for you, but I just want to make sure you have an actual head on your shoulders. The finals are the last chance that some of us are ever going to get to win. If I see you making googly eyes at her on the rink on Saturday, I’ll force Coach to bench you or some shit like that.”

As playful Opal’s tone was, Korra couldn’t help but concede to her words. The championship game _is _important, and Korra has to play her part and help lead the team.

"Okay, yeah,” Korra muttered as she turned on the shower faucet. “I get it.”

Satisfied that she could get her point across, Opal cleared her throat with a chuckle. Korra could hear the slamming shut of a locker door and the rustling of Opal’s bags.

“Have fun,” laughed Opal. “But not too much fun.”

And with that, Korra was left alone in the locker room, in the shower, with her thoughts.

Spirits, she is _so_ screwed.


	2. ii.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the time when asami knocked korra into a wall and felt kinda bad about it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so we’re gonna take a step back this chapter and go to the relationship’s “origin story” or whatever so buckle up kiddos issa long one

If there’s one thing Asami’s father taught her, it’s to always focus on the prize. Winning the Republic City championship game was the pinnacle of ice hockey glory—possibly the greatest achievement that any collegiate hockey athlete can vie for besides signing with a professional team. But Asami, with her own academic passions, knew that she would never be able to settle into such a career. So, like any other reasonable person, she settled for the next best thing.

To be honest, Asami’s own hockey journey started off as a happy accident. Hiroshi had initially signed her up for figure skating lessons when she was in elementary school (as a father _obviously _does when he attempts to groom his daughter to flourish in the upper echelons of society). But when she was nearly knocked over by a rambunctious crew of hockey boys, she knew she wanted in on the fun. It wasn’t long before Asami was gliding across the rink in her own hockey skates, much to her father’s initial dismay.

But Asami’s hobby turned into more of an athletic commitment (which she had no complaints about) as she entered high school. It was no surprise that Lin Beifong, one of the ice hockey coaches at the Future Institute of Technology, reached out to congratulate her on her acceptance and express her excitement over seeing her at preseason in the winter.

Playing hockey did nothing to diminish her competitive spirit. If anything, it increased tenfold. Asami knew what it felt like to win—a desire that has almost devolved into an unhealthy obsession with being first place, whether it be in the classroom, the engineer’s garage, or the ice rink. All she knew she wanted was to win, and her intentions were clear when she stepped on the rink for the Republic City semifinals during her junior year.

So there was nothing more than an inkling of remorse the moment she slammed her body against one of the offense players on the opposing team, effectively sending her opponent into a wall and sliding on the hard ice. She barely registered the shrill whistle of the referee until Kuvira yanked her by the shoulder into a standstill.

“Are you fucking insane?” hissed Kuvira. “If you haven’t forgotten already, you can’t check someone in an actual match.”

Asami blinked. Right. Women’s ice hockey. No checking. Penalty. Shit.

The referee blew his whistle again, and Asami let out a small exhale of relief. She only had a misconduct penalty because the other skater wasn’t injured. She hesitantly skated over to the bench where Coach Lin stood, her arms crossed and her permanent scowl etched deeper into her face than usual.

“Sato, I expected better from you,” said Lin, pinching her nose bridge between her fingers. “How many times do I have to tell you? You can’t check during a game.”

“Sorry, coach,” Asami muttered sheepishly. “I forgot.”

“_Forgot?_” Lin scoffed. “You’ve been on this team for three years now. You shouldn’t be forgetting these types of things. Especially now that you’re captain.”

Asami bit her lip. Of course Lin was going to pull the captain card on her. She ran a finger through her hair, which had been mussed and loose from its ponytail while in her helmet. Her eyes jumped from player to player until she recognized the player she checked. Her opponent was dressed in the same white garb with blue lettering that all of the other Polar Bear Dogs had, but she also had a capital blue “C” printed on the front of her jersey a little left to her sternum—similar to the “C”’s in red that she and Kuvira had and the blue “C” on the other opposing captain’s jersey (who, Asami believed, was Coach Lin’s niece).

Asami could barely keep up with the player, even with the large definitive numbers “00” emblazoned on her back. She seemed to effortlessly weave through the players with the puck still in her possession. It was like she was skating through water, flowing from one place to another without anything or anyone to obstruct her path. Asami was so engrossed in the player’s graceful movements that she didn’t realize Lin had tapped her on the shoulder, urging her back on the rink.

Asami grinned lightly before popping in her mouth guard and fastening her red helmet. “Here we go again,” she said, snatching her stick from the bench and bolting back out on the ice.

The game ended after a long and close match, with the Fire Ferrets narrowly emerging as the victors who would continue to the championship.

After a brief round of celebrations and a heartfelt speech from both captains, the Fire Ferrets took a break for the evening before the celebratory victory party down at Kwong’s. Asami, who opted to go back to the dorm and call it an early night, was followed by fellow captain and defenseman Kuvira, as well as Zhu Li, the eccentric and quiet, yet freakishly skilled goalie.

“That was one of the most nerve-wracking games I’ve ever played in my life,” said Asami. She couldn’t help thinking back to the sound of the person’s body crashing against the wall and the clatter of the stick on the ice, and a newfound guilt bubbled within her chest.

“You almost screwed us over,” commented Zhu Li. “Thank the spirits that the referee was so nice.”

“Yeah, thanks. Real comforting.”

“Am I wrong?”

“I’m actually surprised that none of the Polar Bear Dogs are coming over to whoop your ass,” Kuvira joked, swinging an arm around Asami’s shoulder. “I would’ve been mad as shit.”

“Yeah, but you’re Kuvira,” said Asami. She shook off Kuvira’s arm and crossed her hands over her chest. “You’d fight anyone who even looks at you.”

Just as Kuvira was going to respond with a retort of her own, she was cut off when someone approached the three girls. Asami widened her eyes as she saw the hockey bag slung over the person’s shoulder and jersey with the numbers “00” bunched up in her hand. But what surprised her even more was that the person was so _pretty_. Asami’s heart skipped a beat as she tried not to focus on the person’s piercingly blue eyes or haphazardly dried short hair or-

“Hey, uh, Fire Ferrets,” said the person with a surprisingly casual, strong voice. “Do any of you know of a, uh, player 52?”

Asami held her breath. She never wanted the earth to swallow her up more than that moment. She slowly raised her hand and gave a sheepish smile.

“That’s, uh, me,” Asami muttered awkwardly. “Hi. Uh. Yeah. _Really_ sorry about that. I just got caught up in the moment and I didn’t mean to check you, but I’m glad you weren’t all that badly hurt but if you were I’m sure I could have-“

“It’s alright,” the person laughed. Asami tried her best to fight back an oncoming blush. “I’ve been in your position before. No hard feelings. I promise. I just came to say good game, and good check, even if it was technically illegal.”

Asami smiled, extending her hand, “Asami Sato.”

“I know who you are,” said the person. There was a slight pause, except for Kuvira’s snickering, as the person realized the connotations behind her words and began to splutter. “Oh, I mean, uh, I know who you are because you’re really good at hockey. And pretty. Oh, spirits what am I saying? I promise I’m not a creep.”

Asami couldn’t contain the laughter upon hearing this person so flustered, and it was a good way for her to hide her own blush. “Never thought of you as one. So you are?”

“Oh, yeah. Right. Korra. My name’s Korra.”

“Korra,” repeated Asami, letting the last syllable linger on her tongue, which elicited a very visible flush on Korra’s neck and ears. “Nice meeting you. And, again, sorry about that.”

“Yeah. Likewise,” mumbled Korra. She yelped as she heard the ping of a text notification, and her eyes widened as she read the words on the screen. “Oh, shit. My coach just texted me saying they’re going to go leave without me.” she laughed awkwardly, attempting to dispel her own embarrassment. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

Asami gave a tentative wave as Korra smiled at her before hurriedly rushing out of the doors. She turned around to Zhu Li’s knowing look and Kuvira’s scowl.

“What?” asked Asami, feigning innocence.

“Asami,” said Zhu Li, “You are, what they call, a useless lesbian.”

“Okay, no. I’m not even a lesbian. And I’m not interested in her.”

“I didn’t say anything about you being interested,” shrugged Zhu Li. “But you clearly are. And she’s definitely into you, too.”

Asami spluttered, thinking about the fact that Korra might even like her back, “Kuvira, you don’t agree, right?”

Kuvira scoffed, a hint of bitterness lacing her words, “Asami, for someone so smart, you’re really stupid sometimes.”

Surprised by Kuvira’s angry tone and Zhu Li’s matter-of-fact remarks, Asami’s lips twisted into a thin, pressed line. “I just think she’s pretty, that’s all,” said Asami.

“Okay, yeah, sure,” Kuvira scowled. “Well, I’m going to leave. Call it a night. See you at practice tomorrow.”

Both Zhu Li and Asami stared at Kuvira, walking stiffly out the doors with her hands in her pockets, her hockey bag bouncing against her shoulder.

“Okay, why is _she_ mad?” asked Asami, genuinely confused.

Zhu Li only stared at her, before slowly shaking her head, muttering, “Useless lesbians, I swear.”

* * *

It didn’t take long for Asami to find Korra’s profile on Instagram, partly because the hockey world has been alive with the “scandal” of Asami Sato checking a player. As a captain of such a high-profile team as the Polar Bear Dogs, it made sense that Korra would have a public account with a rather massive following. Asami was the same, after all—both athletes were big presences in the sport, namely because they’re two of the very few publicly out athletes in Division I ice hockey. Asami has definitely heard about Korra before, but she never really bothered to check her social media until now.

But despite their shared fame, their accounts were quite different. While Asami was quite reserved in terms of what she would post, Korra had no problem sharing an aspect of her everyday life—including her workouts. Seeing posts of people flexing with barbells or doing pull-ups on a bar usually irked Asami, but she definitely wasn’t complaining about the workout selfies and videos showing the tone and definition Korra’s arms and abs.

Asami continued to scroll through Korra’s posts. She chuckled at a video of Korra’s pet labrador Naga and halted at a photo of a guy kissing Korra on the cheek. The guy, donning a bright red scarf and a Republic City University hoodie, was tagged as Mako (and unfortunately had a private account). But the post was made a few months ago, and Mako didn’t appear in any of Korra’s recents.

Asami groaned. Since when did she ever stalk someone on Instagram? This felt beneath her. No, it _is_ beneath her.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Asami bit her lip as her finger hovered over the blue “Follow” button. Would Korra think that it’s weird, that the person who sent her crashing into a wall would start following her Instagram account a few hours after a brief conversation?

_Oh, to hell with it_, Asami thought. _Might as well._ And so she did.

It didn’t take more than five minutes for Asami to receive a notification that Korra followed her back, amongst the onslaught of comments and likes on her most recent photo of the Fire Ferrets right after the semifinal game. Asami soon got a notification that Korra commented on her post.

**@korra_**: congrats! though i missed you on the ice for a good ten minutes ;)

Asami scoffed. So she was going there, wasn’t she? Two can play at that game.

**@asami.sato**: @korra_ not my fault you were in the way ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**@010raavatar**: oh shit is this? tea?

**@hockeyfanatic**: Y’all…that check was a dirty move, though, let’s be honest.

**@_thats_rough_buddy_**: @hockeyfanatic nah my dude it was a gay move that’s what it was. i’m calling it right here right now

Asami was amusedly scrolling through the comments that their short interaction had started when she felt a buzz of a notification. Korra was DM’ing her. Korra was in her DMs.

Oh, my spirits.

[**Korra**]: are you seeing the comment war we started omf

[**Asami**]: yeah, and it’s on my post, too, so i’m getting all of the notifications :(

[**Korra**]: yikes..? don’t know what to tell ya ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

[**Korra**]: also, never thought i was going to be dm’ing someone who body slammed me into a wall, but i guess that’s what we’re doing that now

[**Asami**]: are you seriously never going to let that go?

What started off as a conversation in their DMs evolved into a full on friendship. Well, as friendly as they can be for two extremely busy student athletes on different corners of the country. Most of their conversations were small talk, for the most part, save the occasional meme or hockey play that they sent one another, and many of their interactions involved commenting quips or fond insults on each other’s posts.

When the Fire Ferrets won the championships, Korra left yet another comment that had everyone losing their minds.

**@korra_**: #robbed :,(

**@asami.sato**: @korra_ what a gOoD spOrT

**@010raavatar**: do y’all like each other or hate each other tf is going on

**@hockeyfanatic**: @010raavatar I think it’s just a friendly rivalry.

**@_thats_rough_buddy_**: @010raavatar the gay tension is palpable

**@_thats_rough_buddy_**: @hockeyfanatic how obliviously heterosexual can u be

But as the months went by and a new hockey season was ready to rear its head, Asami’s Instagram was abuzz with chatter as followers and fans hoped for some more in-person interactions between the two, as well as a rematch between the Polar Bear Dogs and Fire Ferrets.

One night, a day before her semifinal game, Asami was scrolling mindlessly through her Explore page, trying to rid herself of her game anxieties when she felt the buzz of a DM notification.

[**Korra**]: hey, this is kinda out of the blue, but can i get your number?

[**Asami**]: ohh? i’m flattered ;)

[**Korra**]: u dingus. it’s just weird dm’ing u all the time. like the connotations of it or wtv

[**Asami**]: what, you don’t like sliding in my dms? ;))

[**Korra**]: fuk u

[**Korra**]: no but seriously

[**Asami**]: hahah yea of course of course

As Asami was sending typing out her number, a wild idea bubbled in her head, and her breath hitched in her throat. There’s a good chance that the Fire Ferrets are going to win the semifinals, so if Asami’s going to see Korra at Republic City University, maybe this was a good time to finally ask Korra out on an official date.

[**Asami**]: hey can i ask you something?

[**Korra**]: ??? yea whats up

As soon as she saw Korra’s reply pop up, she felt all of the courage she had a split second ago deteriorate. She furiously erased her original response before settling on a terse reply. Besides, Korra deserved better than a confession over an Instagram DM, out of all places.

[**Asami**]: nvm

[**Korra**]: WHAT

[**Asami**]: i’ll let you know you in person

[**Korra**]: in person? don’t get ahead of urself now, lol. u still got the semis

[**Asami**]: shh i got this i got this

[**Asami**] i’m also trying not to think about it :-)

[**Korra**]: o shit my b. hey!! u got this! i’m only messin with ya because i know you’ll kill it :))

[**Korra**]: _korra_ sent a sticker._

[**Korra**]: but u better tell me what you were trying to say

[**Asami**]: a girl’s gotta stick to her word, right? ;)

* * *

Asami’s only been on Republic City University’s campus a few times, but she could never get over how big the school was. At her school, all of the buildings and amenities were within a ten- to fifteen-minute walk. This campus felt like it could stretch out for hours on end. Even the walk between the closest hotel they could find to the ice rink was a decent thirty-minute walk away, and Lin refused to give anyone a ride over.

“Asami!” a voice called from behind. She internally cursed herself as her heart jumped to her chest. Out of all the times Korra had to find her, it was when Asami just got off a six-hour flight?

“Korra!” Asami turned, smiling nonetheless. It felt as if her heart stopped beating as soon as she laid her eyes on Korra. She still hadn’t changed her hairstyle (part of this Asami already knew, since Korra regularly updates on Instagram), but her eyes were still that electrifying blue, and the tank top she was wearing did _so_ much justice to her arms.

“It’s been so long!” Korra tackled Asami into a hug, which she gladly returned. As muscly as Korra as, Asami was surprised to find that she had such a nice, comforting embrace—one that smelled of cinnamon and really nice laundry detergent. Holy shit, Asami hoped Korra couldn’t feel how rapidly her heart was beating.

“Can you believe the match is in a few days? And we’re facing off against each other? Again?”

“I mean, I’m not surprised about _us_ getting here. But you guys…” Asami trailed off, smile creeping on her features.

“Rude,” Korra tutted. “You shouldn’t treat your hosts like that. Oh, speaking of, have you settled at your hotel yet?”

“Just barely. We need to get on the ice in thirty.”

“Wait, what? But you just got here!”

“Yeah, but Coach Lin thinks the best way to treat jetlag is to make us so tired that we won’t feel it.”

“…Yikes.”

“Yeah. Oh, well,” Asami shrugged. “Oh, right! Remember when I told you that I need to tell you something?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“…I’ll let you know after your practice.”

Korra sniffed, “You’re so unfair.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so yea hope that kinda clarifies things and provides more insight into their relationship. up next is their date!!


End file.
